Being a part of the FIT Team couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Midway through our grant, my office moved into the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (CEC) on the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) campus. Omaha Public Library (OPL) is one of 30 community or UNO organizations housed in the CEC. The CEC’s purpose is to inspire and support collaborative efforts that benefit the community as a whole. It is also “the only stand-alone, comprehensive, engagement-specific university facility in the country” according to UNO’s website. More

Nebraska state prisons are 53% over capacity. Proposed legislation to lessen this overcrowding would result in more former convicts reentering the community. While many groups are working to address the impact and needs of ex-inmates, there is no nexus for reentry information and services. Uniform awareness of and access to services and increased communication between service providers would allow these groups to strengthen their services. Stronger services would lead to more positive reentry outcomes. The Omaha community would grow stronger by reducing unemployment and recidivism and fortifying families. More